Drilling tool



July 10, 1923. 1,461,037

W. R. HOWARD DRILLING TOOL Original Filed Aug. 5, 1918 Patented July 10, 1923.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM R. HOWARD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF UOL'U'MBIA.

DRILLING TOOL.

Application filed August 3, 1918, $erial No. 248,114. Renewed Jfanuary 1'9, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drilling Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in drilling tools and refers more particularly to a device for cutting through rock or similar formations in the drilling of oil wells.

In the drilling of oil wells, particularly in deep wells the standard rotary drilling rigs cut through the relatively soft earth without much difliculty. When, however, rock formations are encountered, it is necessary to put on a rock or roller bit in order to out through the rock. This operation is exceedingly slow and it frequently takes longerto out through a relatively few feet of rock than it does to drill the entire rest of the well through soft earth. Difficulty is also experienced in twisting off the drill stem which generally consistsof a series of connected pipe sections.

The object of the present invention is to provide a construction which will readily and quickly drill through rock without the danger of injuring or breaking the drilling mechanism and which also can be applied to standard rotary drilling rigs.

To the above end, I provide the motive power for the drilling tool at a point in which the tool operates. This is accomplished by connecting a motor to the lower end of the drill stem and then operatively connecting the armature shaft of the motor to the cutting bit or tube. This motor is controlled by electrical conductors extending up through the drill stem to the operator. Means are also provided for reaming out the rock core at the proper time. The arrangement is such as to avoid any necessity of rotating the drill stem while the rock cutting operation is going on. It Wlll be noticed, however, that, if additional speed s required, the drill stem may be rotated s1- multaneously with the cutting tool or, on the other hand, the cutting tool may be romoved from the hole and the motor and rock bit detached from the drill stem and the operation continued with the proper bitfor drilling the remainder of the hole.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical view partly in elevation and partly in section with parts broken away to reduce the size of the drawing showing my improved apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of the upper end of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the manner of connecting the motor to the drill stem.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the cutting member connected to the armature shaft of the motor.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view on the line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a platform, upon which is mounted a standard rotary driving member having the usual turn table 2, gripping wheels 3 and drive belt 4: with the usual connecting gears. The arrangement is such that the drill stem 5 can be rotated and also raised and lowered. This drill stem 5 is made up of pipe sections suitably screwed together and is adapted to extend down into the hole to be drilled. its the hole is drilled, it is, of course, provided with the usual casing 6.

When rock is encountered, it is necessary to remove the usual drilling tool and put on a rock hit. As before stated, however,

drilling through rock is a slow and very unsatisfactory operation with the present devices now in use. To overcome the difficul ties attendant on such constructions, I connect to the lower end of the drill stem a motor 7 enclosed in a jacket 8 of the proper shape and size to fit easily within the casing.

The bottom of the drill stem 5 may be attached to the top of the jacket 8 by any suitable flange joint or screw joint as it would be attached to the regular fish-tail or rock bit. The motor 7 is provided with a square shaft 9 connected with and extend ing from the top of said motor up through a square hole at the top oi the acket 8 (Figs. 3 and 6), and of suiiicient length to permit the motor and cutting member 10 to be raised or lowered inside the jacket 8 for a distance equal to at least the depth of the core socket of the cutting member 10. The motor 7 with the cutting member 10 may be raised or lowered by means 01 a cable 11, extending up through the drill stem to suitable apparatus for lifting, which cable conveys the conductors 12 necessary to operate the motor. To the armature shaft 13 of the motor, is secured a rock cutting tool 10. This'tool 10 is provided at its lower edge with cutting bits 14;, the arrangement being such that as it is rotated, it will cut through rock. lVhen a core of suilicient length has been cut out, the reaming tools 15 will be put into operation; Two or more 0'5 these "can be placed in the walls of the cutting member 10 as shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 5. In, order to project the reamingtools 15 into the core which is to be out 01f and lifted out of the hole, a rod 16 is provided so that when the cutting member has made its trip downward the length of the coresocket, the projection 17 at the bottom of ,the jacket 8, comes in contact with a rocker arm 18 and it is so arranged as to push down the rod 16 against the pressure of a spring 19. hen'the cable 11 raised, the contact of the projection 17 and rocker arm 18 is broken and the spring 19 returns the rod 16 to its original position When therod "16 is pushed downward as above described, the co-operating beveled faces, one on the lower end of the rod 16 and one on the end of 'the reaming tool 15, come together in such a manner as to push. out the reaming tool15 into the core whichis to be cut off. The reaming tools 15 are normally held outwardly by the springs 20.

It will be noted that the projection 17 and. rocker arm 1.8 may be brought into contact either by the rocker arm 18 traveling downward, until contact is made, or jacket 8 maybe raised by means of the drill stem being lifted until projection 17 comes in contact with rocker arm 18, on its way up ward, thereby making it possible to cut off any length of core desired.

Holes 21 (Fig. 3) are provided at the bottom of the drill stem in order to allow wa ter which is being pumped down through the drill stem to get out into the hole and return upward and over the casing head when such is necessary, and which will permit the drilling operations to be carried on as herein described, at any distance below the bottom of the set casing without danger of sticking the drill stem.

To prevent water from getting into the motor the outlets of the acket 8 which surrounds the motor are packed oil? at 22, Q3, and 2%.

I claim as my invention 1. In a drilling apparatus, the combination with a drill. stem, of a hollow jacket member secured to the lower end ol the drill stem, a motor enclosed in said jacket, means for controlling the operation of said motor, from the ground, a cutting tool projecting into said jacket, operative connections be tween the motor and cutting tool for rotating the latter, and cutting bits carried by the tool.

2. Ina drilling apparatus, the combination with a drill stem, of a hollow jacket member secured to the lower end of the drill stem, a motor enclosed in said jacket, means for controlling the operation oi said motor, from the ground, a cutting tool projecting into said jacket, operative connections between the motor and cutting tool for rotating the latter, cuttin bits carried by the tool, rean1- ing tools CdlliCd by the tool, and means for moving said reaming tools into and out of operative position.

In a drilling apparata'ls, the combination with a drill stem, of a hollow jacket member secured to the lower end of the drill stern, a motor enclosed in said jacket, means for con trolling the operation oi? said motor, from the ground, a cutting tool projecting into said jacket, operative connections between themotor and cutting tool for rotating the latter, cutting bits carried by the tool, reaming tools carried by the tool, means for moving said reaming tools into and out of operative position, said moving means compris ing spring leve age incchanisn'i adapted to have operative engagement with the jacket.

4:. In a drillingapparatus, the combination with a drill stem, oi. a hollow jacket member secured to the lower end of; the drill stem. a motor enclosed in said jacket, means for controlling the operation oi said motor, from the ground, a cutting tool projecting into said jacket, operative connections between the motor and cutting tool for rotating the latter, cutting bits carried by the 'tool, a rotary drilling rig, operative connections between said rig and the drill stem whereby the cutting tool may be actuated either through the motor or the action of the drill stem or jacket or both.

5. In a drilling apparatus, the combination with a drill. stem, of a hollow jacket member fixedly secured to the lower end thereof. a hollow cylindrical cutting tool jiirojecting into said jacket, cutting bits extending outwardly from the periphery of saidtool,re:\ining tools adapted to project inwardly from the periphery of said tool, and means for moving said reaming tools into and out of operative position and means for rotating the tool. I

6. In a drilling apparatus, the combination a With a drill stem, of a hollow jacket member fixedly secured to the lower end thereof, a hollow cylindrical cutting tool projecting into said jacket, cutting bits extending out- Wardly from the periphery of said tool, reaming tools adapted to project inwardly from the periphery of said tool, and means for moving said reaming tools into and out of operative position, said means comprising spring leverage mechanism controlled by said jacket member.

WILLIAM R. HOIVARD. 

